fussy

Bath, Wells, Winchester, Cotswolds, Stratford, Oxford, York, Chester, Shrewsbury, London is where I'm going. <BR> <BR>I am a fussy nonsmoker, and would like to try pubs that are either smoke free, or have a seriously nonsmoking section. <BR> <BR>Any ideas for me?

Robin

HA - HA - HA - HA <BR> <BR>Yes, understand your dilemma & don't wish to make light as I too am sensitive to smoke. (I have asthma). <BR>Unfortunately, Europeans are much heavier smokers than what Americans are (or actually used to be). There's far fewer concessions and allowances for non-smokers. My experience in London last year was that most pubs have alot of smokers. But then again, I only went to a few spots and maybe there are some that do provide a cleaner environment. <BR>

Ron

I would be curious to know what you thought of the 8 replies you got when you asked this question on the Thorntree forum last week? <BR> <BR>You may notice that one (of many) difference between Fodor's and Thorntree is that posters generally use real names and e-mail addresses here. <BR> <BR>Good luck.

bo_jack

If you go out to see Windsor Castle, you might be in luck. A couple of years ago my wife and I had lunch in a restaruant/ pub in the heart of the village -- don't remember its name. We sat in the No Smoking Section. When an oriental tourist "lit up" in the same section, a hostess was over within a minute telling him to put it out or move to the other section. The pub/meal would not be worth a special trip ... but if you are in the neighborhood. Good luck.

Linda

DO NOT DESPAIR! <BR>One of the best last minute purchases I made before our first trip to England was THE GOOD PUB GUIDE, updated yearly. <BR>GET IT! I shudder to think how different our trips would have been without it. There is even a section in the back that identifies Pubs with non smoking areas...Quite a few actually. <BR>We found so many wonderful villages we never would have experiences without this guide, an unexpected side benefit. Stick with the Dining Pubs for dinner. We especially liked THE FOX in Lower Oddington, Cotswolds, very upscale with wonderful food. Don't rememeber the dining area as smoky at all...and you don't have to eat gray peas anymore....not even in a pub! <BR>

Lynn

Dear Fussy: <BR> <BR>We will be visiting England and Wales for the first time in just a few weeks. I've done a little research to find nonsmoking establishments and found one pub in Bath which claims to rigidly enforce the nonsmoking bar in back. It is called The Old Green Tree and is located on Green Street at the bottom of Milsom Street. Have also found a bistro called Tilley's which claims to have 15 nonsmoking seats on the ground floor and 24 nonsmoking/20 smoking seats on the basement floor. Sounds like the smoke will just rise to the ground floor, but we'll probably check it out. It is located on 3 North Paradise Passage, 100 meters south of Bath Abbey. <BR> <BR>I think we'll probably picnic in the parks most of the time just to avoid all the smoke! <BR> <BR>Good luck!

Vincent

I have a suggestion : how about staying home, in your nice smoke-free bubble ? Sorry, but IMO, "fussy" and "travel" don't really match. <BR>OK, now, I am ready for the arrows...

Brian in Atlanta

Now where did I put my quiver? <BR> <BR>I think "fussy" is going about this the right way. He is not going on the trip expecting the people at his destination to change their behavior to accomodate him, he is smartly inquiring as to where he might find exisitng smoke free environments. I don't believe that it is impossible to experience the charactor and culture of a British pub in a smoke free environment, in fact, I would say the ale would taste even better. <BR> <BR>

Tom

I don't think your's is an unreasonable request. The issue would become offensive when, as I have seen repeatedly, yanks complain about the smoke once in the pub. Try The Lamb, a wonderful pub between the borrough of Camden and the Court of St. James (I forget the street). While not entirely smoke free, half the pub is and it makes a world of difference.

alam

Sorry, but I'm with Vincent. As a former cigarette smoker I am not bothered by it. Why do WE Americans attempt to put standards are Europeans. we are visitors there and have to respect their rules etc. I do smoke a cigar occasionally.

ginny

Really, a bit of a joke... <BR>FYI - if the name of a pub has the word "Moon" in it, it is either a "smoke-free" pub or has a designated "smoking" area. Wait another month or so till the "beer gardens" open up outside the pubs, it's a good solution that keeps everybody happy.

Brian

Some of these posters just don't get it. Smoking isn't a quaint little cultural habit that "Yanks" "fuss" about, it's a serious addiction that infects both smoker and non-smoker, especially the pub and restaurant workers who have higher incidences of smoke related diseases AND a shortened life span. Yes, this has been objectively proven, interestingly, first by British scientists in the '40s and '50s. Why have laws to protect health in enclosed places been successful in the US? Because "fussy" people made an issue of it and wised people up. I just spent 2 weeks in the UK and it was offensive to me that I had to breath in other people's smoke and smell of cigarettes constantly. Because of the cold weather there, there is far less filtered ventilation so you are literally encased in smoke whenever you go indoors. Many of the British complain constantly. It's not just a "foreigners" thing. Most of my relatives and friends over there are unanimous in their anger toward the lack of stricter no-smoking laws. So they just don't go to pubs and most restaurants. People who defend this wonderful "cultural" pastime should have their heads examined.

Jo

Wutherspoons chain is big within UK - they all have non smoking section. <BR>

Ginny

Brian - you are not living in the "real world" dear... Americans can't go around imposing our own hangups on the rest of the world, it is really resented. I am a non-smoker, but I know better than to go around trying to force others to change their way of living. Besides, the forum is not the place to get on your high horse. <BR>

Michael Baldwin

Ah, Smoking. One of my favorite things about traveling to Europe is sitting down in a cafe, ordering a double espresso and pulling out a tasty cigarette. <BR> <BR>Nothing better. <BR> <BR>Michael

Kavey

My goodness... give the guy a break. My reading of the first post was not "how unreasonable those horrible english are with their continuous smoking" but a question of "I personally find smoking unpleasant, are there any non smoking pubs to go to?" I didn'f feel just by asking about non smoking areas that the poster was trying to shove his yankee opinions on us poor quaint brits!!!!!!!!! <BR> <BR>I am a Londoner born and bred and whilst I find that many people do still assume a "real" pub is full of smoke and empty pint glasses, more and more pubs are offering non smoking environments. <BR> <BR>Try the country pubs - they are better. The huge majority of pubs in London are new pubs (even the Witherspoons chain) which are more wine bars, meeting places for workers at lunch or after work or hangouts for the loud lager lad brigades. <BR> <BR>To find what I would call a traditional pub you often have to look outside of London. Country pubs can be really charming. <BR> <BR>My favourite is The Green Man in Greater Offley between Hitchin and Luton (which I doubt many of you will visit as Luton is a kazi of no tourist interest. Unless you fly into Luton airport which is only a short train ride into Central London, about 30 miles from London.

Kavey

And BTW <BR> <BR>Fussy and Travel do absolutely go together. <BR> <BR>If we weren't fussy about our holidays being fantastic in every way we can control we wouldn't be here sharing the details. <BR> <BR>People who aren't a little fussy end up on package tours to Benidorm or Ibiza with all the other sheep. <BR> <BR>Fussy doesn't mean you aren't interested in seeing the truth of a place, seeing it for what it is and enjoying the differences between it and your home. It just means you have values and opinions and certain things which are more important to you. <BR> <BR>Don't we all. <BR> <BR>I am fussy about food on holiday. I don't travel abroad to eat McDonald's. Even when I am in the States I go for good real food, does that mean I am imposing my dislike of fast food on the Americans? <BR> <BR>Phew. <BR>I better do a little more reading and a little less posting before I really wind someone up ;-)

Richard

a no smoking section in europe seems to be confined to the particular chair you are sitting in. while you may be in a no smoking chair the one next to you would be a smoking chair. <BR> <BR>they dont have a surgeon general in the UK so they still havent realized that smoking is dangerous.

Richard

have you considered going to california instead where all bars and restaurants are now smoke free?

Tony Hughes

Richard , I presume your tongue was very firmly in your cheek with that remark BUT it did make me laugh. <BR> <BR>Thanks